Armagh 0-8 Donegal 2-11
Ulster SFC Quarter-Final
By Brendan O’Brien
Donegal laid down an impressive statement of intent on Sunday afternoon, cantering to a comfortable nine-point victory over the home side in the last of the four Ulster Football Championship quarter-finals.
It wasn’t meant to be this easy.
Armagh entered the afternoon buoyed by anticipation despite their lowly Division Three status last spring, their narrow one-point loss to Donegal in the 2014 All-Ireland quarter-final apparent proof that they could live with the Division one side and reigning provincial kingpins.
That growing belief was palpable in the tight confines of the superbly-appointed and packed Athletic Grounds where 18,186 people paid for the privilege of watching this encounter on a glorious summer’s day all but devoid of spoiling elements.
Apart from Donegal, that is.
With less than three minutes played Neil Gallagher sent a long ball in towards Paddy McBrearty who was isolated on James Morgan. McBrearty collected, shrugged aside the challenge and found the net after his initial shot was blocked by goalkeeper Matthew McNeice.
So far so bad for Armagh and it soon got worse.
Outplayed at midfield and unable to penetrate the Donegal defence, they leaked a drip-drip of scores at the other end and trailed by 1-9 to 0-2 at the interval, by which time manager Kieran McGeeney had already begun to tinker with his options.
It was already too late.
Donegal mixed long balls with lightning counter attacks with ball in hand and long, languid build-ups. It was varied and composed football from a side supremely confident in its own skin. Half-time was merely a hiatus from the nightmare for the hosts.
Martin O’Reilly added a second goal, somewhat fortuitously given the ball spilled from Frank McGlynn’s hands into his path in behind the defence, but the finish 45 minutes in was superb as he rounded the keeper and slotted home.
Even that was just window-dressing by then.
Quite the performance, all told, from Donegal.
Teams and scorers:
Scorers for Armagh: T Kernan (0-3, 1 free); C McKeever, A Findon, C Rafferty, J Morgan (all 0-1); E Rafferty (0-1 free).
Scorers for Donegal: M Murphy (0-5 frees); P McBrearty (1-1); M O’Reilly (1-0); O Mac Niallais (0-2); K Lacey, N Gallagher, M McElhinney (all 0-1).
Armagh: M McNeice; F Moriarty, C Vernon, J Morgan; A Mallon, C McKeever, C Rafferty; A Findon, E Rafferty; T Kernan, M McKenna, A Forker; J Clarke, A Murnin, S Campbell. Subs: M Murray for McKenna (29); K Dyas for Moriarty (31); C O’Hanlon for E Rafferty (52); B Donaghy for Forker (57); E McVerry for Murnin (69); S Harold for Findon (70).
Donegal: P McGrath, N McGee, E McGee; F McGlynn, K Lacey, R McHugh; N Gallagher, O Mac Niallais; M McHugh, M McElhinney, M O’Reilly; C Toye, P McBrearty, M Murphy. Subs: A Thompson for E McGee (HT); H McFadden for McBrearty (54); D Walsh for Toye (56); G McFadden for McElhinney (68); E Doherty for O’Reilly (70).
Referee: D Coldrick (Meath).